Community Chat

[gloriajean]

Every decision we make is not critical nor is every mistake fatal.
Lord, help me keep things in perspective and avoid the panic such
thinking creates.


Scripture for the day:

"Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens,
and I will give you rest." ~Matthew 11:28

Meditation for the day:

"Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens,
and I will give you rest." For rest from the cares of life, we can
turn to God each day in prayer and communion. Real relaxation and
serenity come from a deep sense of the fundamental goodness of the
universe. God's everlasting arms are underneath all and can support
us. We can commune with God, not so much for petitions to be granted
as for the rest that comes from our relying on God's will and God's
purposes for our lives. We can be sure of God's strength available to
us, and conscious of God's
support. We can wait quietly until that true rest from God fills our
being.

Prayer for the day:

I pray that I may be conscious of God's support today. I pray that I
may rest safe and sure therein.

Greetings everyone - this is late so I'll be short and sweet! Lori got home safely last night - didn't get much of a chance to visit with her yet - she's so busy. When Darla's hot water heater bursted and caused so much damage to the house, it is now completed with new floors etc. and she's finished now with the clean-up and says her house is done now. She's leaving on her trip here on Friday so please pray for her safe trip! Nadine, who sends me things for my list, who lives in Finland, left for Vilnius - is in Lithuania.. She's visiting some nuns there who used to be in Finland. She won't be back until Thursday night so I've been trying to gather things for my list myself now - takes time. She is what I call my International Secretary. She likes being called that.

Homily of the Day

He Never Changes, Even on Your Bad Days!
by Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.

2 Cor 8:1-9 / Mt 5:43-48

It seems to be a part of the rhythms of life that we have good days and not so good days, and indeed a few days that are really terrible. And a good portion of those terrible ones are very much of our own making. In fact, a part of their terribleness is that we can feel cut off from our best selves and find it a little hard to even like ourselves.

This is fact, the sad truth about us all, and it renders even more remarkable the stance of the Lord toward us on those worst and most terrible of our days. His stance doesn’t change by a single inch. He still looks at us with love and fatherly affection. He still calls out to us by name. He still holds out his arms, wanting and waiting to embrace and comfort us.

It really is quite remarkable, and calling it to mind should be a powerful remedy for us on those terrible days when we find ourselves folding in upon ourselves. The Lord is faithful and unchanging in his commitment to you. Trust that. It will change your life, especially on those bad days!



WHERE IS GOD?
Author Unknown
June 14, 2011


He was just a little boy, on a week's first day.
He was wandering home from Sunday School, and dawdling on the way.
He scuffed his shoes into the grass; he found a caterpillar.
He found a fluffy milkweed pod, and blew out all the "filler."


A bird's nest in a tree overhead, so wisely placed on high,
Was just another wonder that caught his eager eye.
A neighbor watched his zig zag course, and hailed him from the lawn,
Asked him where he'd been that day and what was going on.


"I've been to Bible School," he said and turned a piece of sod.
He picked up a wiggly worm replying, "I've learned a lot of God."
"M'm very fine way," the neighbor said, "for a boy to spend his
time."
"If you'll tell me where God is, I'll give you a brand new dime."


Quick as a flash the answer came! Nor were his accents faint.
"I'll give you a dollar, Mister, if you can tell me where God ain't."

Remember that dancing with our feet isn't possible for all of God's children, so some of us Dance with our Heart!!!


Dancing With God

When I meditated on the word Guidance,

I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word.

I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing.

When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.

The movement doesn't flow with the music,

And everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.

When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead,

Both bodies begin to flow with the music.

One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back

Or by pressing Lightly in one direction or another.

It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.

The dance takes surrender, willingness,

And attentiveness from one person

And gentle guidance and skill from the other.

My eyes drew back to the word Guidance.

When I saw "G": I thought of God, followed by "U" and "I".

"God, "U" and "I" dance."

God, you, and I dance.

As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust

That I would get guidance about my life..

Once again, I became willing to let God lead...



My prayer for you today is that God's blessings

And mercies are upon you on this day and everyday.

May you abide in God, as God abides in you.

Dance together with God, trusting God to lead

And to guide you through each season of your life.

This prayer is powerful and there is nothing attached.

If God has done anything for you in your life,

Please share this message with someone else.

There is no cost but a lot of rewards;

So let's continue to pray for one another.

And I Hope You Dance Through 2011

God's Grace



There once was a man named George Thomas, pastor in a small New England

town. One Easter Sunday morning he came to the Church carrying a rusty,

bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit. Eyebrows were raised

and, as if in response, Pastor Thomas began to speak....

"I was walking through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming

toward me swinging this bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were three

little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright.

I stopped the lad and asked, "What do you have there, son?"

"Just some old birds," came the reply.

"What are you going to do with them?" I asked.

"Take 'em home and have fun with 'em," he answered. "I'm gonna tease 'em

and pull out their feathers to make 'em fight. I'm gonna have a real

good time."

"But you'll get tired of those birds sooner or later. What will you do

then?"

"Oh, I got some cats," said the little boy. "They like birds. I'll take

'em to them."

The pastor was silent for a moment. "How much do you want for those

birds, son?"

"Huh?? !!! Why, you don't want them birds, mister. They're just plain

old field birds. They don't sing. They ain't even pretty!"

"How much?" the pastor asked again.

The boy sized up the pastor as if he were crazy and said, "$10?"

The pastor reached in his pocket and took out a ten dollar bill. He

placed it in the boy's hand. In a flash, the boy was gone. The pastor

picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the alley where

there was a tree and a grassy spot. Setting the cage down, he opened the

door, and by softly tapping the bars persuaded the birds out, setting

them free. Well, that explained the empty bird cage on the pulpit, and

then the pastor began to tell this story:

One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just come

from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting. "Yes, sir, I

just caught a world full of people down there. Set me a trap, used bait

I knew they couldn't resist. Got 'em all!"

"What are you going to do with them?" Jesus asked.

Satan replied, "Oh, I'm gonna have fun! I'm gonna teach them how to

marry and divorce each other, how to hate and abuse each other, how to

drink and smoke and curse. I'm gonna teach them how to invent guns and

bombs and kill each other. I'm really gonna have fun!"

"And what will you do when you are done with them?" Jesus asked.

"Oh, I'll kill 'em," Satan glared proudly.

"How much do you want for them?" Jesus asked.

"Oh, you don't want those people. They ain't no good. Why, you'll take

them and they'll just hate you. They'll spit on you, curse you and kill

you. You don't want those people!!"

"How much? He asked again.

Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, "All your blood, tears and your

life."

Jesus said, "DONE!" Then He paid the price.

The pastor picked up the cage and walked from the pulpit.

Some of Mother Teresa's Own Words:

Love

To do ordinary things with extraordinary love

Let us love one another as God loves each one of us. And where does this love begin? In our own home. How does it begin? By praying together

God told us, "Love your neighbor as yourself." So first I am to love myself rightly, and then to love my neighbor like that. But how can I love myself unless I accept myself as God has made me?

Contemplatives in the heart

We are not social workers. We may be doing social work in the eyes of some people, but we must be contemplatives in the heart of the world.

Created to love

God has created us to love and to be loved, and this is the beginning of prayer--to know that he loves me, that I have been created for greater things.

Something beautiful for God

What I can do, you cannot. What you can do, I cannot. But together we can do something beautiful for God.

The child

The child is God's gift to the family. Each child is created in the special image and likeness of God for greater things - to love and to be loved.

Family

The family that prays together stays together, and if they stay together they will love one another as God has loved each one of them. And works of love are always works of peace.

Holiness

Holiness is not the luxury of the few; it is a simply duty, for you and for me.

Prayer for Rain

Farmers and gardeners alike all have to pray for rain periodically.

This prayer can be said in conjunction with the novena to St. Isidore.

O God, in Whom we live and move, and have our being, grant us rain, in due abundance, that, being sufficiently helped with temporal, we may the more confidently seek after eternal gifts. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Prayer Source: Novena in Honor of St. Isidore: Patron of Farmers by National Catholic Rural Life Conference, National Catholic Rural Life Conference